[Monkey PoXXX]

Does anybody on the forums own a vehicle lift for home use? I'm interested to see what you folks have/recommend.

I've been looking at this: [WIKI]BendPak HD-9 Car Lift: bigboysgaragetoys.com[/WIKI]

VS

This: [WIKI]BendPak XPR-10A Car Lift: bigboysgaragetoys.com[/WIKI]

Any and all suggestions/comments appreciated!

 

[YLWJKT]

I have both; an assymetrical lift at my shop and a 4 post in my garage
It depends mainly on how much maintenance/modifications you plan on doing.
I use my assymetrical for most f the work, my 4 post is primarily for parking.
There's lots of less expensive optins than Bendpak that are just as good.
There's a good thread on lifts here if you search.

 

[YLWJKT]

Here's the thread:

2 or 4 post lift...?

 

[huggytree]

i have the bendpak hd9

do you want to drive up your lift or mess with a 2 post

will your garage floor need extra thickness? with a 4 post it doesnt (if you have a 4" pour like most)

i think its an easy answer...get the hd9....

if your installing it yourself PM me for a few tips

 

[TNCHARGER]

2 post if you want to do tire changes and major work on the car....4 post if oil changes and minor work........I have a Challenger 2 post in my garage. I started out going with the 4 post but a good friend of mine who is service dept forman for my dealer talked me into the 2 post...and I am glad he did.

I don't know how many times I have done something to my 2013 SRT and thought if I had bought the 4 post I wouldn't have been able to do this.

Challenger requires a minimum of 4" of concrete.

 

[huggytree]

i agree if you plan to do constant mods/work on your car the 2 post is better.....when we replaced my driveshaft we were not able to get the exhaust out of the lift and had to work with the exhaust laying on the lift....while it still worked just fine, it did make things more difficult.....this is the ONE time a 2 post would have been better

also on the bendpak i notice my HC scrapes once in a while....i will be jacking up the ramps a bit next year to prevent this...my front mud flaps have the bottoms wore through from hitting...my 2011 srt did not hit...the HC just baaaarely does

i would buy the Bendpak 9 over again....for the $$ i think its the best.....and once again remember your concrete....2 post is putting 2x the pressure on your slab....i know the 4 post wont crack your concrete...but i do not know if the 2 post will or not......its 2300+lbs on each post vs 1100lbs per post

 

[Monkey PoXXX]

Thanks guys for your help. I'll have to see how much concrete I have before I make any final decisions. I am looking to do mostly light modifications like wheels, oil changes, etc. Would like to be able to do more eventually but don't have the skills for that yet.

This is one of the best forums I've ever been a member of. Keep on rockin' fellas!

 

[Mopar Magic]

Atlas® 10-OHSC Overhead 10,000 lbs. Capacity 2 Post Lift (EXTRA TALL) | Greg Smith Equipment Sales, Inc.
I have the one in the link above. It's a 10,000 pound symmetric

Two post is definitely better for working on the vehicles.
.Four post is definitely better for storing vehicles.
Some of the four post lifts support jacks that allow you to free the wheels for working on them but there is an additional cost and not as handy as the two post.
The argument that two post lifts put twice the pressure on the concrete over the four post lifts is misleading.
You really should consider the weight per square inch. Since the two post pads are larger than the four post pad there isn't anywhere near twice as much weight per square inch.

Most two post lifts under and including 10000 pound lifts are designed to work on a 4 inch concrete slab.

Pretty much any kind of lift is better than crawling around on the ground.
Good luck and enjoy if you get one.

 

[SRT_HC_707]

I have and prefer a two post lift. My requirement was that it had to be top quality and American made (the latter just because that is what I wanted).

I have a Mowhawk System 1. It's a BEAST. Made in NY, by US workers with US steel. Most lifts look like junk when compared with this thing. It's over built. I was only buying one so the price wasn't a factor. Yes, it's more expensive than many lifts but not enough to matter.

I've done a TON of work on this thing in the 10 years that I've owned it and it is one of the best purchases I've ever made.

 

[SRT_HC_707]

Thanks guys for your help. I'll have to see how much concrete I have before I make any final decisions. I am looking to do mostly light modifications like wheels, oil changes, etc. Would like to be able to do more eventually but don't have the skills for that yet.

This is one of the best forums I've ever been a member of. Keep on rockin' fellas!

If you really want to do just wheels, oil changes etc you may even consider one of the many mid-rise scissor type lifts. They don't have to be permanently mounted and you can easily get the car off the ground to do they types of things you want to do.

 

[1FSTCAT]

Bend-Pak MD-6XP Scissor Lift – Install/Review – 20 Pics & Long (no 56K) - Corvette Forum

Older Corvette thread on a scissor jack, but exactly what I intend to do this summer in my garage. LiftMaster 8500 garage door opener and a Bend Pak 6xp.

 

[SRT_HC_707]

Bend-Pak MD-6XP Scissor Lift – Install/Review – 20 Pics & Long (no 56K) - Corvette Forum

Older Corvette thread on a scissor jack, but exactly what I intend to do this summer in my garage. LiftMaster 8500 garage door opener and a Bend Pak 6xp.

This looks like a GREAT option for someone that doesn't need or want a full blown two post lift but wants to work on a car (rather than store a couple of cars in which case a four poster is also a good option).

 

[huggytree]

most garages are 4" pour

the lift may say you need more, but remember its meant for 9,000 lbs and your only lifting 4400lbs

i am the one who brought up dividing the weight by 4 vs 2....i did not know the 2 post lift had bigger pads

as far as the wheel kit on a 4 post lift....when trying to load a M6 car my lift would move all over the place...12" easy just from the sudden jerk of stopping the car while flooring it to get up over the ramps...i tossed my caster kit and bolted mine down to the ground

if storage is your main thing ---ive never seen anyone use a 2 post for storage...not that it couldnt work, but with my job im in 1-4 peoples houses a day and i see a few lifts a year....not 1 has ever been a 2 post

 

[SRT_HC_707]

most garages are 4" pour

the lift may say you need more, but remember its meant for 9,000 lbs and your only lifting 4400lbs

i am the one who brought up dividing the weight by 4 vs 2....i did not know the 2 post lift had bigger pads

as far as the wheel kit on a 4 post lift....when trying to load a M6 car my lift would move all over the place...12" easy just from the sudden jerk of stopping the car while flooring it to get up over the ramps...i tossed my caster kit and bolted mine down to the ground

if storage is your main thing ---ive never seen anyone use a 2 post for storage...not that it couldnt work, but with my job im in 1-4 peoples houses a day and i see a few lifts a year....not 1 has ever been a 2 post

You have never been over my house

I went two post as I work on the cars. Works great for storage too. Not knocking the four poster. It's good to have options.

 

[Mopar Magic]

Bend-Pak MD-6XP Scissor Lift – Install/Review – 20 Pics & Long (no 56K) - Corvette Forum

Older Corvette thread on a scissor jack, but exactly what I intend to do this summer in my garage. LiftMaster 8500 garage door opener and a Bend Pak 6xp.

Good point on the garage door opener.
I forgot to mention that and also jack stands for the two post if you go that way.
I also use the LiftMaster 8500 and recommend it for any type of lift.
If you go with a two post and do any significant mechanic work I highly recommend stands like the link below.
2 Ton Heavy Duty Tripod Stand TALL | Greg Smith Equipment Sales, Inc.

 

[BULL]

For me, I'm considering this style, ('haven't settled on brand yet).

This might be the best of both worlds between 2 and 4 post lifts, I don't have to worry about floor thickness for mounting a 2 post, appears to have the stability of a 4 post, nearly the access of a 2 post.

I said NEARLY damn it, shut up... : )

I like the idea of inlaying it in the floor, although probably not in this house...

...or...

 

[YLWJKT]

most garages are 4" pour

the lift may say you need more, but remember its meant for 9,000 lbs and your only lifting 4400lbs

i am the one who brought up dividing the weight by 4 vs 2....i did not know the 2 post lift had bigger pads

as far as the wheel kit on a 4 post lift....when trying to load a M6 car my lift would move all over the place...12" easy just from the sudden jerk of stopping the car while flooring it to get up over the ramps...i tossed my caster kit and bolted mine down to the ground

if storage is your main thing ---ive never seen anyone use a 2 post for storage...not that it couldnt work, but with my job im in 1-4 peoples houses a day and i see a few lifts a year....not 1 has ever been a 2 post

Huggy, did you have the casters on the lift while you were putting the car on it?
They're only supposed to be on if you're moving the lift.
My 4 post isn't bolted down and I've had everything from tne Shelby to a 3/4 Ram on it and it doesn't move.

 

[huggytree]

no casters were not attached while loading a car....i drive my cars onto the lift in reverse

with a M6 you pretty much have to floor it to get up the ramp and then suddenly brake fast that inertia is what would move the lift 1'+

all the guys who assembeled the lift with me were like Whooaaaa when i loaded my gt500 on it for the first time

the back of my lift is almost touching the back wall of the garage...so when loaded my front tires are only 1-4" past the ramps....so i literally have to get up it and stomp on the brakes or hit the back wall....

the caster idea just made no sense for me......just put the lift where it goes and bolt it down...tossed the casters in the garbage....

 

[Bahboo]

Does anybody on the forums own a vehicle lift for home use? I'm interested to see what you folks have/recommend.

I've been looking at this: [WIKI]BendPak HD-9 Car Lift: bigboysgaragetoys.com[/WIKI]

VS

This: [WIKI]BendPak XPR-10A Car Lift: bigboysgaragetoys.com[/WIKI]

Any and all suggestions/comments appreciated!

Monkey PoXXX, I have the XPR-10A and it's been a huge help. I did a lot of research on car lifts before finally choosing Bendpak. I went a little bit above and beyond the concrete slab reqts because I just don't like dealing with "minimum this," "minimum that." I had a 5inch slab at 4000psi installed. The increased slab thickness was so I could use longer anchor bolts and compensate for some thread-bolt loss by the base-post flange thickness and shimming reqts (minimal) for leveling. The increased psi was for additional safety in load handling, and the increased cost was a few hundred bucks more for the concrete recipe. I would strongly recommend that if you go with a two post lift that you make sure you get or rent a quality concrete drill setup to minimize any drill bit wobbling, which will help ensure that your anchor bolts "bite" well when you torque them down. Lastly, I recently found out that lifting a Hellcat with an XPR-10A is a little more trying than my other vehicles. Reason being is the front lift arms will contact the rocker panels if I don't use pad extensions. So, in order for me to use the pad extensions, I have to get a floor jack and slightly raise the "frame rail" in order to move the front lift arm to the proper lift point. Not really a big deal, but takes more time to set up and lift this beast. Back lift points on the Hellcat are easy. On the bright side, when you lower the Hellcat it initially sits just high enough to where you can slide out (barely) the front arms.